Bornholm

Air Photo, Bornholm Photo by Jan Winther Click on the image for larger version

In summer, do as the Danes do and head for the seashore on the beautiful, carefree island of Bornholm. With the new fixed link over the Øresund bridge to Sweden, journey by train, bus or car with a 1-hour ferry trip from Ystad on the southern tip of Sweden to Rønne on the western shore of Bornholm. Or the fast ferry from Copenhagen to Bornholm takes just 3 hours. Flights are a mere 35 minutes.

People come to Bornholm to experience nature, and with good reason. This tidy little island has a remarkably varied landscape. Though it experiences cold winters, warm currents flowing into the Baltic Sea make the island’s climate mild enough to support tender plants such as figs and mulberries.

In the forest of Almindingen, at the island’s center, stands an unusual “rocking stone” – a huge boulder carried by a drifting glacier during the last ice age and perched in a position that lets it rock back and forth.

Hasle Smokehouse Photo by Jorgen Schytte Click on the image for larger version

In Døndalen you’ll find one of the island’s magnificent waterfalls.

From Nexø in the east, around the south coast all the way to Hasle, the formidable rocky coastline gives way to pleasant, clean sandy beaches for bathing in the Baltic Sea. Dueodde, at the island’s southernmost point, is one of the most popular.

Here are some ways to enjoy the great outdoors on Bornholm:
- Rent a bike to explore the rocky west coast of the island.
- Try snorkeling, scuba diving or wind-surfing off the east coast.
- Hike around Hammer Lake at the northern tip of the island.
- Explore caves by boat in the west.
- Golf at the challenging 18-hole course at Rø.

Hasle Smokehouse is a wonderful stop for lunch. For dinner, find a cozy table at one of the many restaurants and cafés overlooking the Baltic.

Bornholm is known throughout Europe for its outstanding efforts at historic preservation. Spend a day on a hunt for Bornholm’s historic past.

You can trace its history back to the Stone Age through prehistoric dolmens, or stone arches, that still stand on the island. Naturally, the Vikings left their mark here too, in the form of runic stones and other artifacts found in Almindingen forest.